Fifteen volunteers have set up the emergency response unit forest fires (DIFF). All of them are firefighters who have completed the FDF training programme, ranging in rank from firefighter to captain, and they are keen to tackle fires in areas where manpower is limited.
"The idea came to us whilst we were on a deployment in the south of France" explains Thibault Gareaux, secretary of the Isère DIFF, before adding that"In Switzerland, a group of firefighters has set up a similar organisation and goes out every year to assist neighbouring countries in need. Our first mission begins this Thursday and will end on 28 June. We’ll be spending a week in Portugal, at the fire station in Penalva Do Castelo, to provide extra manpower."
The team is due to arrive in Portugal this Thursday afternoon for a week-long visit, to gain an understanding of the operational organisation of the Penalva Do Castelo fire brigade, before undertaking further missions of this kind. You can follow the latest news from their association at Emergency Information.